Ted Lilly - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He bounced back nicely after the ejection last time out, and some struggles before that. It was against a mediocre Padres offense, but his fantasy owners will take it.
Ryan Dempster - Converted his 15th save yesterday with a perfect 9th. Remember all that talk about him losing his job? Me neither.
Alfonso Soriano - Is anyone streaker than this guy? After hitting 3 HRs in one game, he went hitless in his next 21 AB. He hit his 11th HR last night, but only has 23 RBIs on the season to show for his power. Makes you wonder how he drove in 95 last year leading off for the lowly Nationals.
Mike Fontenot - He arguably should have been called up before Ryan Theriot, and he's proving that so far by hitting .407 with 2 HRs and 9 RBI so far. It's hard to suggest picking him up before knowing what his role will be between him, Izturis, and Theriot, but he has the most offensive potential between the 3. Wait and see.
Jon Garland - 6 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Against the Pirates? Blah. Still, Garland is prone to these sorts of games since he doesn't strike out many hitters.
Matt Capps - Saved his 4th game last night since taking over the closer's role, and he's only been scored upon twice in that timeframe. He should continue to be a solid, but not spectacular closer.
Jeremy Bonderman - 6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Another rough outing that results in a win. Fantasy owners have to be loving the offensive explosion of the Tigers this year, allowing starts like these to give their owners a win.
Ivan Rodriguez - 3/5 with 3 R and 5 RBI last night. He's now hitting .300 with 7 HR, so you could do worse than him for a starting catcher. I've seen him on the WW in at least one of my leagues.
Erik Bedard - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. Very irritating when a start like this results in a loss, especially when the bullpen blows it. This is the main reason I'm suggesting that my keeper league move to a quality start stat catagory to replace the wins catagory. I like to eliminate luc situations like this when possible in fantasy leagues.
C.C. Sabathia - 8 1/3 IP, 12 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. He tried to go the distance, and gave up a 2 run double that turned a 1 run lead into a 1 run deficit. Still, he pitched very well up until the 9th.
Oliver Perez - 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Against the red hot Yankees, this was very impressive. The 3 walks didn't hurt him, and he was outstanding against the hottest offense in baseball. Unfortunately I had him on my bench, thinking the 2nd time around against the Yankees wasn't a good matchup. Oops.
Roger Clemens - 6 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He was on my bench too. Dammit. A great outing for Clemens, especially against the Mets. He looks to be ready to roll from here on out.
Jose Reyes - 3/3 with 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR, and 3 SB. Now that's the way to fill out a stat sheet. He hit a solo HR, an RBI single, and stole 2 of his 3 bases against Clemens. That's not a nice way to treat your elders.
Barry Zito - 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. He's just not very good against great offenses, for the most part. That's 16 ER in 13 1/3 IP against AL opponents this year. Thank the almighty dollar for the league switch, huh?
Dustin Pedroia - 5/5 with 2 R, 5 RBI, and his 3rd HR last night. If he's figured things out and is going to hit 2nd in the Boston lineup for the rest of the season, he can be used if your starting 2B goes down, or for MI help. He only has 3 HR and 0 SB, so he has to hit .300 or better to be worth considering.
Roy Halladay - 7 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. 2 solid outings after the Tampa Bay blowup, so he appears to be fine again. Against Washington, this was expected. It has to be frustrating to own him, and you just can't draft him as your reliable ace.
Troy Glaus - Hit his 11th HR last night, and he's still hitting .294. If you can take the inevitable AVG plummet that he's due for, hang onto him. If not, deal him before his AVG drops down and more closely resembles the .255 career line he has.
Eric Gagne - 0.53 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. He doesn't have the same stuff before the recent round of elbow surgeries in the past couple years, but he still knows how to close games with the best of them.
Adam Dunn - Hit his 16th HR last night, and he has 42 RBIs as well. The trade rumors are starting to heat up regarding Dunn, and while he does hit in one of MLB's best HR ballparks, he has power that will transcend into any ballpark. Hopefully he'll end up in the middle of a nice lineup. The Padres are one rumored destination, and if he lands there, that'd be the worst possible situation given he'd be moving to the hardest ballpark to hit HRs in. Just look at what happened to Felipe Lopez and Austin Kearns after they left Cincy to head to Washington. If that's the case, you might want to shop him.
Felix Hernandez - 6 IP, 12 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. I honestly have no idea what the hell his deal is. He is a shell of the pre-elbow injury Felix, getting hit around like a batting practice pitcher. He's now given up 61 hits in 37 2/3 IP, although he sports a nifty 22:4 K:BB ratio in his last 4 starts. I haven't watched him pitch, but judging from the stats, his control has improved, but he's missing in the middle of the plate far too often. Maybe he's tipping his pitches, maybe his mechanics are off and he's leaving too many pitches over the middle of the plate, or maybe he's babying his arm. The Seattle fans don't seem to know either, so make sure he's a permanent fixture on your bench until he figures this out. He's way too talented to just drop.
Scott Baker - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. He just can't put it together in the major leagues. It's very possible the Twins will call up Matt Garza, so pick him up if you'd like to gamble on a talented youngster.
Matt Garza - See above. He's not quite Lincecum or Gallardo due to his lack of a dominant secondary pitch, but he throws high 90s and has been pitching very well in AAA.
Justin Morneau - His AVG is stuck in the .270s, but he smashed his 19th HR last night. His power numbers are excellent, but those expecting him to hit .320 again heading into the season are going to be disappointed. I wouldn't be surprised if that's his career high single season AVG. He seems to be more of a .280-.290 hitter.
Gil Meche - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Continues to pitch like an ace, and picked up his 4th W last night. Like I said before, he's going to have trouble picking up wins for the terrible Royals team, but it seems possible that he's going to post his first season of a sub-4.00 ERA.
Octavio Dotel - 4 scoreless appearances in a row, allowing only 1 hit in that timeframe. I'd would definitely shop him. The Royals took him on as a cheap restoration project, but with the rumblings that they'd like to see Greinke close some day, it makes no sense for them to hang onto Dotel past the trading deadline. I'd be surprised if he was still a Royal, barring an injury or horrible performance, after the deadline passes. They aren't contenders and they're cheap. A healthy, effective Dotel would probably get them a quality prospect in return.
Alex Gordon - 2/4 last night, giving him 9 hits in his last 19 plate appearances. He might have figured things out, so if you still have a hole at your 3B position, or own an injury-prone player like Chipper, pick him up.
James Shields - 6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. I'm sure Shields owners were sick to their stomach seeing the 12-2 final score, so his line isn't as bad as some may have thought. He pitched very well after serving up 4 hits and 2 HRs in the first inning.
Delmon Young - Quietly getting his AVG back up there, as he currently stands at .265. Hopefully you bought low on him when I suggest this back a few weeks ago. He should continue to improve over the season, and his keeper league value is tremendous. He has 40 HR/20 SB potential.
Dan Haren - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. You know you're doing something right when this performance raises both your ERA and WHIP. Another day at the office for the breakthrough starter.
Eric Chavez - HRs in 3 straight games now, giving him 12 on the season. His bat is really starting to heat up.
Derek Lowe - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. One of the best strikeout nights of his career, and he picked up his 7th win in doing so. A great start for an underrated mixed league starter this year. The NL was definitely what his career needed.
Ervin Santana - 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. What's this, 2 straight quality starts on the road? Maybe he's figured out his pitching-on-the-road problems, but it'll take more than this to convince us.
Chone Figgins - Stole his 14th base last night. Given the time he spent on the DL combined with the time spent learning how to hit, he's stealing a ton of bases. He's hitting a scorching .431 this month as he's completely turned his season around.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday's View: Beckett Loses, Gordon Hot
Justin Germano - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Another outstanding performance from the youngster. I think he'll continue to have success against those who haven't seen him before, so take that into considerations when deciding whether or not to use him. The only team that's faced him twice, Seattle, gave him his worst start of the year the 2nd time around.
Jonny Gomes - With Upton out and Wiggington moving to 2B, Gomes was called up and used in RF. If he gets consistent playing time with Upton out, he's worth keeping an eye on. He's been yanked around by this organization, and while he's never going to be a great defender or hit for AVG, he has legit 30 HR power and should post a quality OBP.
Bartolo Colon - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. 2 HRs did him in. With at least 4 ER in his last 4 appearances, I wouldn't trust starting him.
Gary Matthews Jr. - Stole his 10th base last night. With a .282 AVG, 9 HR, and 10 SB, he's proving that last season was no fluke and that he can be a useful 3rd OF. Thanks, steroids!
Ken Griffey Jr. - Two Jr. posts in a row. That's a record for this blog. Hit his 16th HR last night, and with the .281 AVG, he's been quite a nice fantasy OF for those who risked drafting him this year.
Ben Sheets - 5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Predictably struggled last night against the powerful Detroit offense, and he did a good job of straning baseunners and only allowing 3 ER. I benched him and could have used the Win. Oh well. His final statline was about what I expected, with a few less ER.
Francisco Cordero - Gave up 2 R and 3 H last night, but held on to pick up his 24th save. Don't worry too much about his struggles as he was overdue for a regression to the mean. He has the talent to maintain a sub 3 ERA this year.
Gary Sheffield - 3/4 last night with 2 R and an RBI. He's got his AVG all the way up to .288 now as he continues to smoke the ball.
Andy Pettitte - 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Apparently his back is treating him just fine, shutting down the Diamondbacks last night. He's likely to have additional health problems as he does every year, so consider trying to sell him high. I see his ERA hitting the mid to high 3s by year's end.
Doug Davis - 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K. He should change his name to Suck. I hope you got rid of him when I told you to. He's not the 200 K pitcher like he was a couple years ago.
Alex Rodriguez - 3/4 with 2 R and 2 RBI last night. Sweet.
Chad Gaudin - 4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. Not what his owners wanted to see against the subpar Houston offense. Hopefully this isn't the end of his Cinderella season.
Justin Jennings - 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Blah. Left after only 74 pitches, so it's possible his arm is bothering him again.
Brad Lidge - Since they were at home last night, there was no save chance after they Astros didn't score in the top of the 9th, so he worked two scoreless innings in relief, and unfortunately the offense didn't get him a win. He's definitely the current closer, but I'd continue to stash Wheeler (don't have him active) for a while.
Jeff Weaver - 6 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. This lowered his WHIP, and significantly lowered his ERA. I think he's deserved the right to swap roles with his brother, and we'll now refer to them as Jered, and Jered's brother. Quite uncommon for the elder to be referred in that way, but when you suck this bad, you don't give us much choice.
Jason Marquis - 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Two hits, but 4 (3 earned) runs? Only Jason Marquis. If you have him on your roster, please make sure you don't for much longer. This out-of-character story is slowly becoming a train wreck.
Jeremy Guthrie - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. This has now been going on for a little over a month. Well, ride the hot hand I guess if you have an extra spot. Much like Justin Germano, be careful of starting him against an offense he's seen before. He's faced Washington twice, so maybe I should clarify and say "against a major league offense he's seen before". There, that's better.
Jason Stanford - 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K. Who? Exactly. Don't bother.
Dontrelle Willis - 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. Very impressive outing against the Indians, but unfortunately Stanford was better. He had a bad start last year, but yanked his ERA under 4 as the season carried on. Perhaps he's ready to go on a hot streak, and if you have a hole in your rotation, inquire about him. Just don't give up a whole lot.
Victor Martinez - Cranked his 13th HR last night, and he's hitting .326 on the season. Mauer was likely taken ahead of him in almost every draft, even though they're in the same top tier for catchers, so those who waited another 2 rounds or so made the smart decision here.
Kameron Loe - 8 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Don't you dare. This is probably the only time you'll see him mentioned here.
Tom Gorzelanny - 7 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. 3 HR did him in last night. Against a depleted Texas lineup, much more was expected here.
Josh Beckett - 5 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. It's the only time a non-Yankee lineup has gotten to him for over 3 ER, so an outing like this was going to come sooner or later. Pitching against Colorado in Coors is still a tough assignment for anyone.
Jeff Francis - 5 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Lots o' baserunners, but he pitched out of jams and the bullpen stranded 2 more after he left in the 6th. If you had the balls to start him, you were rewarded with a solid outing.
Garrett Atkins - Another grand slam last night amongst a 3/5 evening. He's not a 30 HR hitter, but he's way better than he's performed so far, and a progression to the mean is definitely underway.
Johan Santana - 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. Boned again by his offense. A 6-6 record for a pitcher with a 3.19 ERA is just bad luck. Expect the wins to start coming his way more often.
Tim Hudson - 7 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. He's back at it, turning in a great outing after the meltdown against the Cubs in his last outing.
Bob Wickman - 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K. About as ugly of a blown save as you can get. He's been good since returning from his back injury, so this is probably just a blip in the radar of this usually consistent closer.
Kip Wells - 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K. One upped Marquis by somehow allowing 6 runs on only 3 hits. Good ole hot vomit.
Zach Greinke - Scott Elarton was bombed again, and Greinke pitched 4 quality innings in relief to pick up the win. It's possible that KC might make a switch given Elarton's unsightly 8.54 ERA, and if so, keep an eye on Greinke.
Albert Pujols - 2/5 with his 16 HR last night. All of us who bought low on him are laughing our way up the standings.
Chris Duncan - 2/4 with his 11th HR and 4 RBI last night. He'd been scuffling quite a bit since a back infection, so hopefully he'll be ready to put together a hot streak to make up for missed time.
Alex Gordon - 2/5 with his 5th HR last night, yanking his AVG above the mendoza line to a cool .2004. Perhaps he's ready to show the talent that's been hidden inside learning the big leagues after not playing above AA, so pick him up if you have an extra spot and see what happens.
Jonny Gomes - With Upton out and Wiggington moving to 2B, Gomes was called up and used in RF. If he gets consistent playing time with Upton out, he's worth keeping an eye on. He's been yanked around by this organization, and while he's never going to be a great defender or hit for AVG, he has legit 30 HR power and should post a quality OBP.
Bartolo Colon - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. 2 HRs did him in. With at least 4 ER in his last 4 appearances, I wouldn't trust starting him.
Gary Matthews Jr. - Stole his 10th base last night. With a .282 AVG, 9 HR, and 10 SB, he's proving that last season was no fluke and that he can be a useful 3rd OF. Thanks, steroids!
Ken Griffey Jr. - Two Jr. posts in a row. That's a record for this blog. Hit his 16th HR last night, and with the .281 AVG, he's been quite a nice fantasy OF for those who risked drafting him this year.
Ben Sheets - 5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Predictably struggled last night against the powerful Detroit offense, and he did a good job of straning baseunners and only allowing 3 ER. I benched him and could have used the Win. Oh well. His final statline was about what I expected, with a few less ER.
Francisco Cordero - Gave up 2 R and 3 H last night, but held on to pick up his 24th save. Don't worry too much about his struggles as he was overdue for a regression to the mean. He has the talent to maintain a sub 3 ERA this year.
Gary Sheffield - 3/4 last night with 2 R and an RBI. He's got his AVG all the way up to .288 now as he continues to smoke the ball.
Andy Pettitte - 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Apparently his back is treating him just fine, shutting down the Diamondbacks last night. He's likely to have additional health problems as he does every year, so consider trying to sell him high. I see his ERA hitting the mid to high 3s by year's end.
Doug Davis - 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K. He should change his name to Suck. I hope you got rid of him when I told you to. He's not the 200 K pitcher like he was a couple years ago.
Alex Rodriguez - 3/4 with 2 R and 2 RBI last night. Sweet.
Chad Gaudin - 4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. Not what his owners wanted to see against the subpar Houston offense. Hopefully this isn't the end of his Cinderella season.
Justin Jennings - 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Blah. Left after only 74 pitches, so it's possible his arm is bothering him again.
Brad Lidge - Since they were at home last night, there was no save chance after they Astros didn't score in the top of the 9th, so he worked two scoreless innings in relief, and unfortunately the offense didn't get him a win. He's definitely the current closer, but I'd continue to stash Wheeler (don't have him active) for a while.
Jeff Weaver - 6 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. This lowered his WHIP, and significantly lowered his ERA. I think he's deserved the right to swap roles with his brother, and we'll now refer to them as Jered, and Jered's brother. Quite uncommon for the elder to be referred in that way, but when you suck this bad, you don't give us much choice.
Jason Marquis - 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Two hits, but 4 (3 earned) runs? Only Jason Marquis. If you have him on your roster, please make sure you don't for much longer. This out-of-character story is slowly becoming a train wreck.
Jeremy Guthrie - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. This has now been going on for a little over a month. Well, ride the hot hand I guess if you have an extra spot. Much like Justin Germano, be careful of starting him against an offense he's seen before. He's faced Washington twice, so maybe I should clarify and say "against a major league offense he's seen before". There, that's better.
Jason Stanford - 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K. Who? Exactly. Don't bother.
Dontrelle Willis - 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K. Very impressive outing against the Indians, but unfortunately Stanford was better. He had a bad start last year, but yanked his ERA under 4 as the season carried on. Perhaps he's ready to go on a hot streak, and if you have a hole in your rotation, inquire about him. Just don't give up a whole lot.
Victor Martinez - Cranked his 13th HR last night, and he's hitting .326 on the season. Mauer was likely taken ahead of him in almost every draft, even though they're in the same top tier for catchers, so those who waited another 2 rounds or so made the smart decision here.
Kameron Loe - 8 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Don't you dare. This is probably the only time you'll see him mentioned here.
Tom Gorzelanny - 7 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. 3 HR did him in last night. Against a depleted Texas lineup, much more was expected here.
Josh Beckett - 5 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. It's the only time a non-Yankee lineup has gotten to him for over 3 ER, so an outing like this was going to come sooner or later. Pitching against Colorado in Coors is still a tough assignment for anyone.
Jeff Francis - 5 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Lots o' baserunners, but he pitched out of jams and the bullpen stranded 2 more after he left in the 6th. If you had the balls to start him, you were rewarded with a solid outing.
Garrett Atkins - Another grand slam last night amongst a 3/5 evening. He's not a 30 HR hitter, but he's way better than he's performed so far, and a progression to the mean is definitely underway.
Johan Santana - 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. Boned again by his offense. A 6-6 record for a pitcher with a 3.19 ERA is just bad luck. Expect the wins to start coming his way more often.
Tim Hudson - 7 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. He's back at it, turning in a great outing after the meltdown against the Cubs in his last outing.
Bob Wickman - 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K. About as ugly of a blown save as you can get. He's been good since returning from his back injury, so this is probably just a blip in the radar of this usually consistent closer.
Kip Wells - 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K. One upped Marquis by somehow allowing 6 runs on only 3 hits. Good ole hot vomit.
Zach Greinke - Scott Elarton was bombed again, and Greinke pitched 4 quality innings in relief to pick up the win. It's possible that KC might make a switch given Elarton's unsightly 8.54 ERA, and if so, keep an eye on Greinke.
Albert Pujols - 2/5 with his 16 HR last night. All of us who bought low on him are laughing our way up the standings.
Chris Duncan - 2/4 with his 11th HR and 4 RBI last night. He'd been scuffling quite a bit since a back infection, so hopefully he'll be ready to put together a hot streak to make up for missed time.
Alex Gordon - 2/5 with his 5th HR last night, yanking his AVG above the mendoza line to a cool .2004. Perhaps he's ready to show the talent that's been hidden inside learning the big leagues after not playing above AA, so pick him up if you have an extra spot and see what happens.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Chris Capuano To The DL
The Milwaukee Brewers placed starting pitcher Chris Capuano on the 15 day DL with a strained groin.
He hasn't started since June 8th, so he can return on June 24th assuming he doesn't suffer a setback. There isn't any indication at this time that it's a serious injury that will prevent him from returning when he's eligible.
Fantasy Impact: Throw him in your DL slot, and think about options like Jeff Francis, Sean Marshall, Adam Wainwright, or perhaps a middle reliever like Carlos Marmol. If you don't like the starters available on your waiver wire, you can always use a middle reliever instead for ratios, Ks, and possibly a vulture win.
He hasn't started since June 8th, so he can return on June 24th assuming he doesn't suffer a setback. There isn't any indication at this time that it's a serious injury that will prevent him from returning when he's eligible.
Fantasy Impact: Throw him in your DL slot, and think about options like Jeff Francis, Sean Marshall, Adam Wainwright, or perhaps a middle reliever like Carlos Marmol. If you don't like the starters available on your waiver wire, you can always use a middle reliever instead for ratios, Ks, and possibly a vulture win.
Brewers Call Up Gallardo
The Milwaukee Brewers have called up prized pitching prospect (say that 5 times fast) Yovani Gallardo (try spelling that without help).
Gallardo is slated to take Capuano's turn in the rotation on Monday. Since he's being called up today instead of on Monday, there's a chance they could use him over the weekend. Given he's been starting games his entire time in the minors this year, I don't see why they would potentially endanger his arm by using him in the bullpen. Still, it's curious timing since he's not expected to pitch until Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Mixed leaguers with an extra roster spot should pick him up and stash him to see how he does. Gallardo will pitch against the San Francisco Giants, who are slightly below average in most offensive catagories compared to the other NL teams. I haven't made up my mind whether or not I'll take a chance with him, but it's not a bad matchup. He's arguably the most polished minor league pitcher called up this year as he struck out 95 in 67 1/3 IP with an excellent ERA/WHIP. Like most rookies, he'll probably be inconsistent, but he has a ton of upside and he has a chance to make an immediate fantasy impact. Keep in mind that this could only be a 2 start trial, so while he's not a lock to stay with the club after Capuano returns, he could force the issue with his performance.
Gallardo is slated to take Capuano's turn in the rotation on Monday. Since he's being called up today instead of on Monday, there's a chance they could use him over the weekend. Given he's been starting games his entire time in the minors this year, I don't see why they would potentially endanger his arm by using him in the bullpen. Still, it's curious timing since he's not expected to pitch until Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Mixed leaguers with an extra roster spot should pick him up and stash him to see how he does. Gallardo will pitch against the San Francisco Giants, who are slightly below average in most offensive catagories compared to the other NL teams. I haven't made up my mind whether or not I'll take a chance with him, but it's not a bad matchup. He's arguably the most polished minor league pitcher called up this year as he struck out 95 in 67 1/3 IP with an excellent ERA/WHIP. Like most rookies, he'll probably be inconsistent, but he has a ton of upside and he has a chance to make an immediate fantasy impact. Keep in mind that this could only be a 2 start trial, so while he's not a lock to stay with the club after Capuano returns, he could force the issue with his performance.
Wednesday Wrapup - Tim Lincesuck
Aaron Rowand - He continues his terrific season, hitting a pinch-hit grand slam last night against the pathetic White Sox bullpen. He also added an RBI groundout to give him 5 RBIs on the day, so hopefully you guys in daily transaction leagues didn't sit him seeing as though he wasn't starting. As I mentioned before, this is a contract year for him, so while this production is definitely his best since 2004, it's sustainable for him.
Tim Lincecum - 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. OK, so he's not Francisco Liriano. I want to point out that last year we were very spoiled by the consistent rookie performances from pitchers like Liriano, Jered Weaver, and Josh Johnson. The normal rookie path is one like Cole Hamels...he gets called up, struggles, then puts it together later and flashes both his potential and consistency. Be patient with Lincecum, and don't drop him. Bench him if you don't like his next matchup, as he might continue to frustrate for a while. The talent is definitely there, and since he dominated AAA, odds are he'll work through his troubles here as long as he doesn't keep getting lit up each start.
Jeremy Accardo -Nice to see a bounceback scoreless 9th for his 8th save last night after his recent struggles. He should settle back into a nice groove.
Chris Ray - Pitched a scoreless 10th to preserve the tie, but then blew up in the 11th allowing 2 H, 2 BB, and 3 ER. There's nothing about his peripherals (1.24 WHIP, 51:27 K;BB ratio) to indicate that 4.70 ERA is for real, so he's a good buy-low candidate right now. He still has job security, if for nothing else than the lack of internal replacement candidates. I don't see any reason to panic, but it'd be nice if he could string a few scoreless appearances together.
Bill Hall - 3/3 with a 2 run HR and 2 R last night. His AVG is right in line with last year, but his SLG is down over 100 points. His 35 HR last year will likely go down as his career high, but he definitely has 20-25 HR power and he should show some modest improvement over the rest of the season in the power department. Perhaps the toll of playing CF everyday is wearing on him a bit.
Mike Mussina - 7 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. 2 straight solid performances from someone whom I thought was finished as a fantasy option. If he turns in another start like this, I might have to re-think my analysis of him. Still, the outings came against the pathetic White Sox offense and an average Arizona offense, so the numbers don't tell the whole story. If nothing else, perhaps he's good for a spot-start here and there. I don't think he has the stuff to shut down AL East offenses consistently, which severely dampens his value.
Alex Rodriguez - 2/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, and his 25th HR last night. I like it when A-Rod is on my fantasy team.
Ian Snell - 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. He's been nothing short of outstanding so far in this, his breakthrough season. This was his first complete game of the season, needing only 105 pitches to dispose of the injury-riddled Ranger lineup. I think he's a sell-high candidate for 2 reasons - he won't post a sub-3 ERA all year, and he's likely to wear down as the season progresses since he hasn't thrown over 200 innings before. Now's the time to evaluate your players and if you think their stats are over their head, sell before their regression begins.
Curt Schilling - 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. From almost a no-hitter to this? Jackass. His defense let him down, so he pitched better than his line indicated.
Matt Holliday - 3/4 last night with 3 R and an RBI. Now up to .352 this season, it's official that his breakthrough year last year is no fluke. His HRs are a bit down, but he should still challenge 28-30 by year's end.
Grady Sizemore - 1/3 last night with his 19th SB, and I noticed his AVG is now currently at .288, much more in line with what I expected a few weeks ago. I told ya he'd get that back up there. He's entered the elite OF catagory along with Soriano, Beltran, and Guerrero.
Hanley Ramirez - 2/5 with 1 R and 2 RBI last night, along with his 22nd SB. He's very comparable than Jose Reyes (less speed, more power), but is cheaper due to lesser name recognition.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. Back to business for the NL's best starting pitcher.
Adrian Gonzalez - Hit his 13th HR last night, his first since May 27th. He was due to regress a bit in the power department, but his overall season has been excellent, especially for where he was drafted.
John Lackey - 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. MLB's first 10 game winner as of last night. He's provided great value as a fantasy SP this year.
Vladimir Guerrero - 3/5 with 4 RBI last night. His R catagory suffers a bit due to the lack of a big bat behind him, and he doesn't steal as much anymore, but he's still a fantasy monster in the OF. He only trails A-Rod in RBIs now.
Sean Marshall - 8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. His curveball wasn't its sharpest last night, hurting his Ks, but he pitched great otherwise. I spot started him last night, and I'm going to keep running him out there until he blows up. I don't think he's this good, but as I mentioned before, his vastly improved command shows that he's definitely taken a nice step forward.
Richie Sexson - 2/4 with his 10th HR last night. Hey Richie, you're at the mendoza line again. Try not to fall under it this time.
Felix Pie - 1/2 with 2 BB last night, and 1/2 in steals. The 2 BBs are great as he's showing some plate patience for a young hitter.
Joe Blanton - 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He's bounced back in an impressive fashion after 2 shellings. His 66:21 K:BB ratio is way better than last year, and his BAA is a solid .239. His peripherals indicate that he could be for real this year. He won't be star, but he'd fit solidly as a #4/#5 starter.
Dan Wheeler - 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, and a shoved teammate. The opponent hits you, so you hit a teammate. Nice work, Dan. Brad Lidge seems settled in as the closer for now despite his blown save yesterday.
Eric Chavez - Hit his 10th HR last night, and his 3rd in the last 9 games. Perhaps he'll heat up for a while and not suck. He's been a 2nd half player, so if he's healthy for once, maybe he'll put together a solid 2nd half. Or, he'll get hurt again. My money's on hurt.
Adam Wainwright - 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Great performance for the youngster last night, going 5 2/3 hitless innings. Unfortuantely with 2 out, Aaron Miles commited an error, and then the next battle broke up the no hit bid. He's been pretty damn good 3 out of his last 4 appearances, so mixed leaguers should keep an eye on him. He was thought to be a great young starting pitcher before the injury to Isringhausen last year turned him into a closer for a while.
Albert Pujols - 2/4 with 1 R and 3 RBI last night. I think he's hitting well again.
Alex Gordon - Hit a 3 run HR in the bottom of the 9th last night, and his AVG sits at .199. Just one more hit in the next 4 at bats...
Carlos Silva - 9 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. He gets lit up by Washington and then this? Don't pick him up. When you have a .292 BAA, you're not doing something right, or you just aren't very good.
Torii Hunter - 2/4 with his 14th HR last night. He's still hitting .312 in his contract year, so perhaps his first .300 season is on the way. What money does to some people.
Brad Penny - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. He's making me look stupid for telling you to sell high by continuing to post outstanding starts. He's always had the pure talent and the stuff to put together a season like this, but something always happens and he falls apart. Maybe at 29 years old he'll put it together for 200 innings, but he did the exact same thing last year before blowing up. Trust me, sell high.
Wilson Betemit - Hit his 7th HR last night, and he's only had 103 AB. He has legit power, but his brutal start to this year got him relegated to a seat on the bench. If he can keep hitting for a while, his multiple position eligibility in Yahoo will be of great use to those who want to ride out his hot streak. Who knows, maybe he's ready to hit for real the rest of the year.
Tim Lincecum - 3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. OK, so he's not Francisco Liriano. I want to point out that last year we were very spoiled by the consistent rookie performances from pitchers like Liriano, Jered Weaver, and Josh Johnson. The normal rookie path is one like Cole Hamels...he gets called up, struggles, then puts it together later and flashes both his potential and consistency. Be patient with Lincecum, and don't drop him. Bench him if you don't like his next matchup, as he might continue to frustrate for a while. The talent is definitely there, and since he dominated AAA, odds are he'll work through his troubles here as long as he doesn't keep getting lit up each start.
Jeremy Accardo -Nice to see a bounceback scoreless 9th for his 8th save last night after his recent struggles. He should settle back into a nice groove.
Chris Ray - Pitched a scoreless 10th to preserve the tie, but then blew up in the 11th allowing 2 H, 2 BB, and 3 ER. There's nothing about his peripherals (1.24 WHIP, 51:27 K;BB ratio) to indicate that 4.70 ERA is for real, so he's a good buy-low candidate right now. He still has job security, if for nothing else than the lack of internal replacement candidates. I don't see any reason to panic, but it'd be nice if he could string a few scoreless appearances together.
Bill Hall - 3/3 with a 2 run HR and 2 R last night. His AVG is right in line with last year, but his SLG is down over 100 points. His 35 HR last year will likely go down as his career high, but he definitely has 20-25 HR power and he should show some modest improvement over the rest of the season in the power department. Perhaps the toll of playing CF everyday is wearing on him a bit.
Mike Mussina - 7 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. 2 straight solid performances from someone whom I thought was finished as a fantasy option. If he turns in another start like this, I might have to re-think my analysis of him. Still, the outings came against the pathetic White Sox offense and an average Arizona offense, so the numbers don't tell the whole story. If nothing else, perhaps he's good for a spot-start here and there. I don't think he has the stuff to shut down AL East offenses consistently, which severely dampens his value.
Alex Rodriguez - 2/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, and his 25th HR last night. I like it when A-Rod is on my fantasy team.
Ian Snell - 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. He's been nothing short of outstanding so far in this, his breakthrough season. This was his first complete game of the season, needing only 105 pitches to dispose of the injury-riddled Ranger lineup. I think he's a sell-high candidate for 2 reasons - he won't post a sub-3 ERA all year, and he's likely to wear down as the season progresses since he hasn't thrown over 200 innings before. Now's the time to evaluate your players and if you think their stats are over their head, sell before their regression begins.
Curt Schilling - 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. From almost a no-hitter to this? Jackass. His defense let him down, so he pitched better than his line indicated.
Matt Holliday - 3/4 last night with 3 R and an RBI. Now up to .352 this season, it's official that his breakthrough year last year is no fluke. His HRs are a bit down, but he should still challenge 28-30 by year's end.
Grady Sizemore - 1/3 last night with his 19th SB, and I noticed his AVG is now currently at .288, much more in line with what I expected a few weeks ago. I told ya he'd get that back up there. He's entered the elite OF catagory along with Soriano, Beltran, and Guerrero.
Hanley Ramirez - 2/5 with 1 R and 2 RBI last night, along with his 22nd SB. He's very comparable than Jose Reyes (less speed, more power), but is cheaper due to lesser name recognition.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. Back to business for the NL's best starting pitcher.
Adrian Gonzalez - Hit his 13th HR last night, his first since May 27th. He was due to regress a bit in the power department, but his overall season has been excellent, especially for where he was drafted.
John Lackey - 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. MLB's first 10 game winner as of last night. He's provided great value as a fantasy SP this year.
Vladimir Guerrero - 3/5 with 4 RBI last night. His R catagory suffers a bit due to the lack of a big bat behind him, and he doesn't steal as much anymore, but he's still a fantasy monster in the OF. He only trails A-Rod in RBIs now.
Sean Marshall - 8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. His curveball wasn't its sharpest last night, hurting his Ks, but he pitched great otherwise. I spot started him last night, and I'm going to keep running him out there until he blows up. I don't think he's this good, but as I mentioned before, his vastly improved command shows that he's definitely taken a nice step forward.
Richie Sexson - 2/4 with his 10th HR last night. Hey Richie, you're at the mendoza line again. Try not to fall under it this time.
Felix Pie - 1/2 with 2 BB last night, and 1/2 in steals. The 2 BBs are great as he's showing some plate patience for a young hitter.
Joe Blanton - 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He's bounced back in an impressive fashion after 2 shellings. His 66:21 K:BB ratio is way better than last year, and his BAA is a solid .239. His peripherals indicate that he could be for real this year. He won't be star, but he'd fit solidly as a #4/#5 starter.
Dan Wheeler - 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, and a shoved teammate. The opponent hits you, so you hit a teammate. Nice work, Dan. Brad Lidge seems settled in as the closer for now despite his blown save yesterday.
Eric Chavez - Hit his 10th HR last night, and his 3rd in the last 9 games. Perhaps he'll heat up for a while and not suck. He's been a 2nd half player, so if he's healthy for once, maybe he'll put together a solid 2nd half. Or, he'll get hurt again. My money's on hurt.
Adam Wainwright - 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Great performance for the youngster last night, going 5 2/3 hitless innings. Unfortuantely with 2 out, Aaron Miles commited an error, and then the next battle broke up the no hit bid. He's been pretty damn good 3 out of his last 4 appearances, so mixed leaguers should keep an eye on him. He was thought to be a great young starting pitcher before the injury to Isringhausen last year turned him into a closer for a while.
Albert Pujols - 2/4 with 1 R and 3 RBI last night. I think he's hitting well again.
Alex Gordon - Hit a 3 run HR in the bottom of the 9th last night, and his AVG sits at .199. Just one more hit in the next 4 at bats...
Carlos Silva - 9 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. He gets lit up by Washington and then this? Don't pick him up. When you have a .292 BAA, you're not doing something right, or you just aren't very good.
Torii Hunter - 2/4 with his 14th HR last night. He's still hitting .312 in his contract year, so perhaps his first .300 season is on the way. What money does to some people.
Brad Penny - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. He's making me look stupid for telling you to sell high by continuing to post outstanding starts. He's always had the pure talent and the stuff to put together a season like this, but something always happens and he falls apart. Maybe at 29 years old he'll put it together for 200 innings, but he did the exact same thing last year before blowing up. Trust me, sell high.
Wilson Betemit - Hit his 7th HR last night, and he's only had 103 AB. He has legit power, but his brutal start to this year got him relegated to a seat on the bench. If he can keep hitting for a while, his multiple position eligibility in Yahoo will be of great use to those who want to ride out his hot streak. Who knows, maybe he's ready to hit for real the rest of the year.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
B.J. Upton To The DL
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have placed 2B/CF B.J. Upton on the DL with a strained left quad.
Well, this injury is obviously worse than they thought. After anticipating that he'd be able to rejoin this lineup in the middle of this week, they've placed him on the DL instead. It'll be retroactive to June 8th, so he'll be eligible to return on June 24th. It remains to be seen if he'll need more time or not.
Fantasy Impact: First Teixeira, now Upton. What's with these damn quad injuries? My fantasy team in my keeper league is in big trouble as my offense was already scuffling, and now I've lost two of its top contributors. Ugh.
Odds are you'll need the most help if you were using him at 2B, so if you're off to the waiver wire to find a replacement, I'll suggest trusty Ray Durham, Nick Punto, or Tadahito Iguchi. Punto has stolen 9 bases in the last month and could help replace Upton's speed, while Iguchi has hit a solid .295 with 4 steals and could be finally ending his season-long slump.
Well, this injury is obviously worse than they thought. After anticipating that he'd be able to rejoin this lineup in the middle of this week, they've placed him on the DL instead. It'll be retroactive to June 8th, so he'll be eligible to return on June 24th. It remains to be seen if he'll need more time or not.
Fantasy Impact: First Teixeira, now Upton. What's with these damn quad injuries? My fantasy team in my keeper league is in big trouble as my offense was already scuffling, and now I've lost two of its top contributors. Ugh.
Odds are you'll need the most help if you were using him at 2B, so if you're off to the waiver wire to find a replacement, I'll suggest trusty Ray Durham, Nick Punto, or Tadahito Iguchi. Punto has stolen 9 bases in the last month and could help replace Upton's speed, while Iguchi has hit a solid .295 with 4 steals and could be finally ending his season-long slump.
Chipper Jones Activated From The DL
The Atlanta Braves activated 3B Chipper Jones from the DL this afternoon.
Fantasy Impact: Plug him back into the lineup and hope he stays healthy for a while!
Fantasy Impact: Plug him back into the lineup and hope he stays healthy for a while!
Tuesday = No Hitter Day
Scott Olsen - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Now this is the Scott Olsen we saw for parts of last year. This was a very impressive outing against a strong Cleveland offense, so hopefully this is a step in the right direction. Make sure to keep an eye on him to see if he builds off of this outing.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Unfortunately a HBP and 3 of those hits came in the same inning, the last of which being a bases clearing double which resulted in the only scoring of the game. Still, this was another strong outing for Carmona.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - Gregg has done nothing to deserve losing the closer's role, and he's continuing to pitch well in it. The bullpen arrangement is still the same with Benitez working the 8th, and Gregg working the 9th. Gregg owners would be smart to acquire Benitez at this point just to be safe.
Justin Verlander - 9 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 12 K. The first no hitter of this youngster's career came against a very good Milwaukee offense, but his stuff was dominant last night and he was making hitters look silly with his big curveball.
Curtis Granderson - Hit his 13th triple last night, which is a ridiculous number for this early in the season. One thing to keep in mind with him that I forgot to mention before. He hits .328 with 37 XBH and all 6 of his SB against righties, and .111 with 3 XBH against lefties. He is one of the ultimate platoon players, so make sure to sit him against all lefties.
Michael Young - He hit his 21st double last night, and his AVG sits at .283, so he's finally recovered. However, with only 4 HR and 6 SB, he's just not that valuable in fantasy baseball. Trade him to someone who thinks otherwise now that his AVG is back up there.
Jason Bay - He's 2/27. Such is the life of us Jason Bay owners. Torrid hot streaks followed by frigid cold streaks. He's very annoying in H2H leagues.
Cole Hamels - 8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He likes serving up consecutive HRs, doesn't he? For the 2nd straight game, this time in the first inning, he allowed back-back HRs, but those were the only runs he gave up as he settled down and dominated from there on out. With 16 HRs allowed, he's just not going to make the ERA improvement I thought he would. I think he's a mid 3's ERA pitcher unless he finds a way to stop giving up the long ball.
Jose Contreras - 3 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. His forkball was useless last night, making him a one pitch pitcher, and Philly slammed him for it. With the Sox team as a whole a big steaming turd at the moment, dump him for a hotter pitcher, but don't forget about him. I can't see anyone picking him up after his recent performances.
Jermaine Dye - He hit his 11th HR last night, so his power is alright, but that .221 AVG is very abnormal for him. He's a career .274 hitter, so he'll improve. He's likely to be put on the trading block as the White Sox continue to lose game after game, and he's a pending free agent. I thought he'd be a bit more motivated than this...
Tim Wakefield - 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He had his knuckler working last night, but don't go picking him up. You just never know when he won't be on top of his game as knuckleball pitchers are as erratic as they come.
Brandon Webb - 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. A solid performance against the hottest lineup in the majors. After an error and a single preceded a 3 run HR, he settled down and dominated for the rest of the game. He's officially back on top of his game now, so owners can relax about the rough start.
Chien-Ming Wang - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. He won the battle of the game's top sinkerball pitchers last night. He's taken a nice step forward in the WHIP column this year (1.19 so far), and his K rate is up a bit as well, turning him into a quality fantasy starter.
Ryan Zimmerman - Smacked his 10th HR last night as he continues his groove. His AVG is still hovering at .247, but with 3 HR, 11 RBI, and 8 R in his past 10 games, his run production is back on the rise.
Daniel Cabrera - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. Me being the genius I am decided to spot start him against the lowly Nationals, seeing that he had made subtle progress recently. Instead, my ERA and WHIP got bitch-slapped. Never again.
Scott Kazmir - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 11 K. The good news? He only walked 2 while K'ing 11. The bad news? He was very hittable and still didn't post good ratios. He's still a decent buy-low guy who's capable of going on a hot streak if he finds his command, if you're willing to take the risk.
Greg Maddux - 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Not the best outing with the 3 walks, but a quality one nonetheless. His bullpen blew the lead and then some after he left.
Carlos Pena - 2/5 with a GS HR and 5 RBIs total. He's another Curtis Granderson, although Tampa Bay actually platoons him against righties as he only has 25 AB against them so far this year. Thanks to that, his AVG remains over .300 and he has 14 HR and 38 RBI. He's another guy that's best used in a fantasy platoon situation.
Kelvim Escobar - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 14 K. Yes, 14 Ks in 6 IP. His stuff was flatout nasty last night, but unfortunately one inning where 2 hits, a fielder's choice, and a suicide squeez led to all 3 runs allowed.
Casey Kotchman - Kotchman is finally delivering on the promise this year, hitting .330 with 8 HR and 33 RBI. He's long been a highly touted prospect in the Angels farm system, but it hasn't been until this year that he's stayed healthy and put everything together. He's not a big HR hitting 1B, but makes great contact and should hit over .300 all season long.
Brandon Phillips - Swiped 2 more bases last night, giving him 13 on the season. He continues to deliver in all 5 catagories, and is arguably closing in on being the 2nd best fantasy 2B behind Chase Utley.
Rich Hill - 6 2/3 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Not his best effort, but after a 0.68 in his last 3 outings, he was due to give up a few runs. Still, it was a quality start and he kept his team in the game. His main problem was with holding baserunners on, as a throwing error to first and a balked-in run affected his overall numbers.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K. Not a smooth-sailing performance, but owners have to love to 10 Ks. He was in line for the win until Brad Lidge happened...again.
Brad Lidge - Houston is already screwing this up. After saying they wanted to ease him back into the closer's role, he was immediately thrown into the fire in a 1 run ballgame. This was the type of game that Houston needed to show patience with and keep the previous arrangement of Lidge in the 8th and Wheeler in the 9th, then use Lidge in a save situaiton of 2 or 3 runs. That would give him some room for error and allow him to build his confidence closing games again. Predictably, Lidge allowed a solo HR to the first batter he faced for the blown save. He then allowed a ground-rule double, and a wild pitch later that allowed Mark Ellis to advance to 3rd. He then composed himself while striking out Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez, intentionally walked Dan Johnson, then got Bobby Crosby to pop out to preserve the tie. While the blown save is all that fantasy owners care about, he avoided a complete meltdown and re-composed himself. This is a good sign moving forward, and he'll get at least one more chance to close a game. Us owners can hope it's not another 1 run game.
Kevin Slowey - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Picked up his 2nd win with a strong performance, although the lack of K's so far (6 K in 17 IP) prove that his stuff is not good enough to miss bats consistently like I mentioned when he was called up. He's not going to walk many batters (only 2 so far), but he's going to be hittable when he doesn't have his pinpoint control. I think fantasy owners can do better unless he learns how to K more hitters.
Alex Gordon - 3/4 last night, inching his AVG closer to the Mendoza Line as it current sits at .198. He's again showing some signs of turning things around, so don't completely give up hope that he can't be useful down the stretch this year. Leave him on waiver wires for now though.
John Maine - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. I wanna be, wanna be, wanna be like...Cole Hamels? Maine became the 2nd pitcher in 6 days to surrender back-to-back-to-back HRs, with the 3rd one being to opposing starting pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo. A very substandard performance for Maine, raising his ERA into the 3s for the first time this season.
Hong-Chih Kuo - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A very solid performance for Kuo, who is a good pitcher and a major health risk. After 2 failed attempts as a starter last season, he proved that the third time is indeed a charm, posting a 3.06 ERA with 42 K and 9 BB in only 32 1/3 IP during September. His K potential makes him worth keeping an eye on, but odds are he'll be injured again before posting enough starts to make him worth picking up. Still, he's worth keeping an eye on.
A.J. Burnett - 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. As I posted last night, he left this start early with a shoulder strain. Toronto is downplaying it for now, but we've learned the hard way that their word is worthless. Be ready to put him on the DL.
Alex Rios - 2/4 with a 2 run HR last night. I hate him.
Brad Hennessey - Picked up his first save since the Benitez trade, as San Francisco hasn't generated one since then. He pitched a scoreless 9th, allowing 1 hit while K'ing 2. This proves he's the Giants closer for the time being.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Unfortunately a HBP and 3 of those hits came in the same inning, the last of which being a bases clearing double which resulted in the only scoring of the game. Still, this was another strong outing for Carmona.
Armando Benitez/Kevin Gregg - Gregg has done nothing to deserve losing the closer's role, and he's continuing to pitch well in it. The bullpen arrangement is still the same with Benitez working the 8th, and Gregg working the 9th. Gregg owners would be smart to acquire Benitez at this point just to be safe.
Justin Verlander - 9 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 12 K. The first no hitter of this youngster's career came against a very good Milwaukee offense, but his stuff was dominant last night and he was making hitters look silly with his big curveball.
Curtis Granderson - Hit his 13th triple last night, which is a ridiculous number for this early in the season. One thing to keep in mind with him that I forgot to mention before. He hits .328 with 37 XBH and all 6 of his SB against righties, and .111 with 3 XBH against lefties. He is one of the ultimate platoon players, so make sure to sit him against all lefties.
Michael Young - He hit his 21st double last night, and his AVG sits at .283, so he's finally recovered. However, with only 4 HR and 6 SB, he's just not that valuable in fantasy baseball. Trade him to someone who thinks otherwise now that his AVG is back up there.
Jason Bay - He's 2/27. Such is the life of us Jason Bay owners. Torrid hot streaks followed by frigid cold streaks. He's very annoying in H2H leagues.
Cole Hamels - 8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He likes serving up consecutive HRs, doesn't he? For the 2nd straight game, this time in the first inning, he allowed back-back HRs, but those were the only runs he gave up as he settled down and dominated from there on out. With 16 HRs allowed, he's just not going to make the ERA improvement I thought he would. I think he's a mid 3's ERA pitcher unless he finds a way to stop giving up the long ball.
Jose Contreras - 3 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. His forkball was useless last night, making him a one pitch pitcher, and Philly slammed him for it. With the Sox team as a whole a big steaming turd at the moment, dump him for a hotter pitcher, but don't forget about him. I can't see anyone picking him up after his recent performances.
Jermaine Dye - He hit his 11th HR last night, so his power is alright, but that .221 AVG is very abnormal for him. He's a career .274 hitter, so he'll improve. He's likely to be put on the trading block as the White Sox continue to lose game after game, and he's a pending free agent. I thought he'd be a bit more motivated than this...
Tim Wakefield - 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He had his knuckler working last night, but don't go picking him up. You just never know when he won't be on top of his game as knuckleball pitchers are as erratic as they come.
Brandon Webb - 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. A solid performance against the hottest lineup in the majors. After an error and a single preceded a 3 run HR, he settled down and dominated for the rest of the game. He's officially back on top of his game now, so owners can relax about the rough start.
Chien-Ming Wang - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. He won the battle of the game's top sinkerball pitchers last night. He's taken a nice step forward in the WHIP column this year (1.19 so far), and his K rate is up a bit as well, turning him into a quality fantasy starter.
Ryan Zimmerman - Smacked his 10th HR last night as he continues his groove. His AVG is still hovering at .247, but with 3 HR, 11 RBI, and 8 R in his past 10 games, his run production is back on the rise.
Daniel Cabrera - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. Me being the genius I am decided to spot start him against the lowly Nationals, seeing that he had made subtle progress recently. Instead, my ERA and WHIP got bitch-slapped. Never again.
Scott Kazmir - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 11 K. The good news? He only walked 2 while K'ing 11. The bad news? He was very hittable and still didn't post good ratios. He's still a decent buy-low guy who's capable of going on a hot streak if he finds his command, if you're willing to take the risk.
Greg Maddux - 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Not the best outing with the 3 walks, but a quality one nonetheless. His bullpen blew the lead and then some after he left.
Carlos Pena - 2/5 with a GS HR and 5 RBIs total. He's another Curtis Granderson, although Tampa Bay actually platoons him against righties as he only has 25 AB against them so far this year. Thanks to that, his AVG remains over .300 and he has 14 HR and 38 RBI. He's another guy that's best used in a fantasy platoon situation.
Kelvim Escobar - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 14 K. Yes, 14 Ks in 6 IP. His stuff was flatout nasty last night, but unfortunately one inning where 2 hits, a fielder's choice, and a suicide squeez led to all 3 runs allowed.
Casey Kotchman - Kotchman is finally delivering on the promise this year, hitting .330 with 8 HR and 33 RBI. He's long been a highly touted prospect in the Angels farm system, but it hasn't been until this year that he's stayed healthy and put everything together. He's not a big HR hitting 1B, but makes great contact and should hit over .300 all season long.
Brandon Phillips - Swiped 2 more bases last night, giving him 13 on the season. He continues to deliver in all 5 catagories, and is arguably closing in on being the 2nd best fantasy 2B behind Chase Utley.
Rich Hill - 6 2/3 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Not his best effort, but after a 0.68 in his last 3 outings, he was due to give up a few runs. Still, it was a quality start and he kept his team in the game. His main problem was with holding baserunners on, as a throwing error to first and a balked-in run affected his overall numbers.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K. Not a smooth-sailing performance, but owners have to love to 10 Ks. He was in line for the win until Brad Lidge happened...again.
Brad Lidge - Houston is already screwing this up. After saying they wanted to ease him back into the closer's role, he was immediately thrown into the fire in a 1 run ballgame. This was the type of game that Houston needed to show patience with and keep the previous arrangement of Lidge in the 8th and Wheeler in the 9th, then use Lidge in a save situaiton of 2 or 3 runs. That would give him some room for error and allow him to build his confidence closing games again. Predictably, Lidge allowed a solo HR to the first batter he faced for the blown save. He then allowed a ground-rule double, and a wild pitch later that allowed Mark Ellis to advance to 3rd. He then composed himself while striking out Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez, intentionally walked Dan Johnson, then got Bobby Crosby to pop out to preserve the tie. While the blown save is all that fantasy owners care about, he avoided a complete meltdown and re-composed himself. This is a good sign moving forward, and he'll get at least one more chance to close a game. Us owners can hope it's not another 1 run game.
Kevin Slowey - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Picked up his 2nd win with a strong performance, although the lack of K's so far (6 K in 17 IP) prove that his stuff is not good enough to miss bats consistently like I mentioned when he was called up. He's not going to walk many batters (only 2 so far), but he's going to be hittable when he doesn't have his pinpoint control. I think fantasy owners can do better unless he learns how to K more hitters.
Alex Gordon - 3/4 last night, inching his AVG closer to the Mendoza Line as it current sits at .198. He's again showing some signs of turning things around, so don't completely give up hope that he can't be useful down the stretch this year. Leave him on waiver wires for now though.
John Maine - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. I wanna be, wanna be, wanna be like...Cole Hamels? Maine became the 2nd pitcher in 6 days to surrender back-to-back-to-back HRs, with the 3rd one being to opposing starting pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo. A very substandard performance for Maine, raising his ERA into the 3s for the first time this season.
Hong-Chih Kuo - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A very solid performance for Kuo, who is a good pitcher and a major health risk. After 2 failed attempts as a starter last season, he proved that the third time is indeed a charm, posting a 3.06 ERA with 42 K and 9 BB in only 32 1/3 IP during September. His K potential makes him worth keeping an eye on, but odds are he'll be injured again before posting enough starts to make him worth picking up. Still, he's worth keeping an eye on.
A.J. Burnett - 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. As I posted last night, he left this start early with a shoulder strain. Toronto is downplaying it for now, but we've learned the hard way that their word is worthless. Be ready to put him on the DL.
Alex Rios - 2/4 with a 2 run HR last night. I hate him.
Brad Hennessey - Picked up his first save since the Benitez trade, as San Francisco hasn't generated one since then. He pitched a scoreless 9th, allowing 1 hit while K'ing 2. This proves he's the Giants closer for the time being.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A.J. Burnett Leaves Start With Shoulder Injury
Toronto Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett left his start tonight against the Giants with shoulder strain/fatigue.
*gulp* It's unclear exactly what's wrong, but as I stated in my last entry about him, the Blue Jays were treading dangerous waters with his pitch counts. Over his past 4 starts, he threw
475 pitches. Before his last start before tonight, he complained of arm fatigue. The Blue Jays gave him an extra day off between starts, but then left him out there for 130 pitches. This is absolutely horrible pitcher management by the Blue Jays, who have already endured a season-ending injury from B.J. Ryan, and have dealt with on-and-off with injuries to Roy Halladay. I know their bullpen is a bit of a mess, especially in front of Jeremy Accardo, but you can't risk a DL stint or a serious injury to starting pitchers because you're afraid to dip into the bullpen. Didn't these guys watch what happened to the Cubs staff after the 2003 season??
Fantasy Impact: Get out your praying materials. He didn't give us much time to act on my suggestion to shop him, did he? Jerk. If you haven't dealt him by now, you're stuck with him. My best advice? If he returns this year, wait for a quality start or two after he returns, and then trade him. Let's hope it requires a short DL stint, and that the Blue Jays learn from this and handle Burnett better when he returns. OK, let's just hope it requires a short DL.
*gulp* It's unclear exactly what's wrong, but as I stated in my last entry about him, the Blue Jays were treading dangerous waters with his pitch counts. Over his past 4 starts, he threw
475 pitches. Before his last start before tonight, he complained of arm fatigue. The Blue Jays gave him an extra day off between starts, but then left him out there for 130 pitches. This is absolutely horrible pitcher management by the Blue Jays, who have already endured a season-ending injury from B.J. Ryan, and have dealt with on-and-off with injuries to Roy Halladay. I know their bullpen is a bit of a mess, especially in front of Jeremy Accardo, but you can't risk a DL stint or a serious injury to starting pitchers because you're afraid to dip into the bullpen. Didn't these guys watch what happened to the Cubs staff after the 2003 season??
Fantasy Impact: Get out your praying materials. He didn't give us much time to act on my suggestion to shop him, did he? Jerk. If you haven't dealt him by now, you're stuck with him. My best advice? If he returns this year, wait for a quality start or two after he returns, and then trade him. Let's hope it requires a short DL stint, and that the Blue Jays learn from this and handle Burnett better when he returns. OK, let's just hope it requires a short DL.
Case Of The Mondays
Man, only 5 games yesterday, and thanks to interleague play, one of my teams didn't have a single offensive player go yesterday. BORING.
Ichiro Suzuki - 2/5 last night, raising his AVG to .337. He's hitting .341 with 10 R, 9 RBI, and 3/3 in SB this month, so he's picked up right where he left off in May.
Raul Ibanez - 4/5 with 2 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 2 R, and 5 RBI. Nice way to fill up a stat sheet, but one game won't erase the fact he's been a huge bust so far. Perhaps he's ready to get hot for a while, so pick him up if he was dropped and you need OF/UTIL help. He only had 2 HR prior to this, and he is an established 20 HR hitter, so some more power should be on the way even though he won't hit HRs at the same pace as last year.
Ryan Garko - 0/5 with 8 LOB last night. Ugh. Perhaps I'll miss Teixeira more than I thought. If you're like me and will be without Teixeira for a while, take a look into this guy if he hasn't been picked up already. He's a legit hitter, although not as good as his numbers a week or two ago. He should have plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind Hafner, Martinez, and Peralta, assuming they don't clear the bases before he gets up.
Adam Eaton - 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. He doesn't have the same stuff he did in San Diego, at least from what I saw of him last night. This former promising young arm seems to be healthy, but given his current ERA and that he pitches half his games in Philly, don't expect an outing like this again for a while.
Javier Vazquez - 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. His line would have looked better, but 3 of the 4 hits he allowed were solo HRs. Whenever he seems to miss with a pitch, it's a bad miss right down broadway. He's still enjoying his finest AL season to date so far, though, and should remain a solid back of the rotation starter for fantasy teams.
Antonio Alfonseca - He has defied all odds by tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings and going 5/5 in save chances since becoming the closer. He's only struck out 2, but he hasn't walked anyone and has only allowed 5 hits in that time frame. Myers and Gordon still remain a couple weeks away from returning, so it looks like he'll be a solid closer until then. Color me stupid for advising to not pick him up, but with 4.79 ERA prior to taking the job, can you blame me?
Carlos Zambrano - 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Well, to make up for my bad advice concerning Alfonseca, I seem to have hit the nail on the head with Zambrano. He was blowing pitches by everyone last night, and looked on top of his game for the 2nd time since the big fight. Plus, he only walked 1 batter, which is also a great sign. I hope you bought low on him like I did as he'll likely be a top 10 starter the rest of the way.
Ryan Dempster - After a tough blown save the night before where he came into the 8th inning, he pitches a scoreless 9th while only walking 1 batter. Again, it's nice to see him bounce right back after a tough appearance.
Felix Pie - He's now stolen 4 bases in his last 6 games. I'm not sure exactly how ready he is for the majors, but he obviously has plenty of speed and might be worth gambling on in mixed leagues to see how he pans out. His upside as his career unfolds is supposedly along the lines of Grady Sizemore, so keeper league owners should keep that type of potential in mind.
Orlando Hernandez - 5 2/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He was due for a rough outing after a long streak of great pitching, so unless he couples this with a few more consecutive bad outings, he should be just fine. Still, given his long history of arm problems, selling him high would be a great idea.
Randy Wolf - 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Not his best outing, but it was a quality start and good enough to beat the Mets thanks to the great bullpen behind him. He continues to exceed expectations and should be a solid fantasy starter all year.
Takashi Saito - After allowing a solo HR in his first appearance back from the DL, he pitched a perfect 9th with 2 Ks for his 17th save last night. He's over his groin injury and ready to go back to being an elite closer.
Matt Morris - 9 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. That's his 3rd CG of the season, and he bounced back brilliantly after giving up all 3 of those runs in the 1st inning. My evaluations of him have been very skeptical so far, but there's a chance that he's found a way to consistently get hitters out without the great stuff he had before his shoulder surgery a few years back. Still, as I keep saying, I still suggest selling high as his value won't be any higher than right now.
Barry Bonds - Hit HR #747 last night, but it's only his 2nd HR since May 8th. He's definitely in a slump right now, so I hope you sold high on him like I suggested a while back when he was hot. Unfortunately he's reached the age where he can't be an elite hitter all season long. However, now's not a bad time to try to buy low on him as he won't continue slumping like he has forever.
Dave Roberts - In his 2nd game back from the DL, he swiped 2 bases last night. Feel free to activate him or pick him up if you're in search for cheap steals.
Ichiro Suzuki - 2/5 last night, raising his AVG to .337. He's hitting .341 with 10 R, 9 RBI, and 3/3 in SB this month, so he's picked up right where he left off in May.
Raul Ibanez - 4/5 with 2 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 2 R, and 5 RBI. Nice way to fill up a stat sheet, but one game won't erase the fact he's been a huge bust so far. Perhaps he's ready to get hot for a while, so pick him up if he was dropped and you need OF/UTIL help. He only had 2 HR prior to this, and he is an established 20 HR hitter, so some more power should be on the way even though he won't hit HRs at the same pace as last year.
Ryan Garko - 0/5 with 8 LOB last night. Ugh. Perhaps I'll miss Teixeira more than I thought. If you're like me and will be without Teixeira for a while, take a look into this guy if he hasn't been picked up already. He's a legit hitter, although not as good as his numbers a week or two ago. He should have plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind Hafner, Martinez, and Peralta, assuming they don't clear the bases before he gets up.
Adam Eaton - 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. He doesn't have the same stuff he did in San Diego, at least from what I saw of him last night. This former promising young arm seems to be healthy, but given his current ERA and that he pitches half his games in Philly, don't expect an outing like this again for a while.
Javier Vazquez - 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. His line would have looked better, but 3 of the 4 hits he allowed were solo HRs. Whenever he seems to miss with a pitch, it's a bad miss right down broadway. He's still enjoying his finest AL season to date so far, though, and should remain a solid back of the rotation starter for fantasy teams.
Antonio Alfonseca - He has defied all odds by tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings and going 5/5 in save chances since becoming the closer. He's only struck out 2, but he hasn't walked anyone and has only allowed 5 hits in that time frame. Myers and Gordon still remain a couple weeks away from returning, so it looks like he'll be a solid closer until then. Color me stupid for advising to not pick him up, but with 4.79 ERA prior to taking the job, can you blame me?
Carlos Zambrano - 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Well, to make up for my bad advice concerning Alfonseca, I seem to have hit the nail on the head with Zambrano. He was blowing pitches by everyone last night, and looked on top of his game for the 2nd time since the big fight. Plus, he only walked 1 batter, which is also a great sign. I hope you bought low on him like I did as he'll likely be a top 10 starter the rest of the way.
Ryan Dempster - After a tough blown save the night before where he came into the 8th inning, he pitches a scoreless 9th while only walking 1 batter. Again, it's nice to see him bounce right back after a tough appearance.
Felix Pie - He's now stolen 4 bases in his last 6 games. I'm not sure exactly how ready he is for the majors, but he obviously has plenty of speed and might be worth gambling on in mixed leagues to see how he pans out. His upside as his career unfolds is supposedly along the lines of Grady Sizemore, so keeper league owners should keep that type of potential in mind.
Orlando Hernandez - 5 2/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He was due for a rough outing after a long streak of great pitching, so unless he couples this with a few more consecutive bad outings, he should be just fine. Still, given his long history of arm problems, selling him high would be a great idea.
Randy Wolf - 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Not his best outing, but it was a quality start and good enough to beat the Mets thanks to the great bullpen behind him. He continues to exceed expectations and should be a solid fantasy starter all year.
Takashi Saito - After allowing a solo HR in his first appearance back from the DL, he pitched a perfect 9th with 2 Ks for his 17th save last night. He's over his groin injury and ready to go back to being an elite closer.
Matt Morris - 9 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. That's his 3rd CG of the season, and he bounced back brilliantly after giving up all 3 of those runs in the 1st inning. My evaluations of him have been very skeptical so far, but there's a chance that he's found a way to consistently get hitters out without the great stuff he had before his shoulder surgery a few years back. Still, as I keep saying, I still suggest selling high as his value won't be any higher than right now.
Barry Bonds - Hit HR #747 last night, but it's only his 2nd HR since May 8th. He's definitely in a slump right now, so I hope you sold high on him like I suggested a while back when he was hot. Unfortunately he's reached the age where he can't be an elite hitter all season long. However, now's not a bad time to try to buy low on him as he won't continue slumping like he has forever.
Dave Roberts - In his 2nd game back from the DL, he swiped 2 bases last night. Feel free to activate him or pick him up if you're in search for cheap steals.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Aramis Ramirez To The DL
The Chicago Cubs placed 3B Aramis Ramirez on the 15 day DL with patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
The Cubs wanted to give Ramirez the weekend to see if he'd recover, but it became apparent that he wasn't improving as fast as they hoped and decided to put him on the DL.
Fantasy Impact: Well, you Ramirez owners finally have a place to stash him so you can sign someone else in the meantime. He last played on June 6th, so he'll be retroactively placed on the DL as of June 7th. If you haven't already, try players like Kevin Kouzmanoff or possibly Scott Rolen (if he was dropped) for a week until Ramirez gets back.
The Cubs wanted to give Ramirez the weekend to see if he'd recover, but it became apparent that he wasn't improving as fast as they hoped and decided to put him on the DL.
Fantasy Impact: Well, you Ramirez owners finally have a place to stash him so you can sign someone else in the meantime. He last played on June 6th, so he'll be retroactively placed on the DL as of June 7th. If you haven't already, try players like Kevin Kouzmanoff or possibly Scott Rolen (if he was dropped) for a week until Ramirez gets back.
Sunday: Miller's Big League Return, A-Rod And Pujols En Fuego
Andrew Miller - 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. A very tough matchup for him in his return to the big leagues, but he pitched well despite a shaky 1st inning. He should continue to improve if he stays in the rotation, and he'll probably be a fantasy asset. I'd add him in all leagues if you have a starter you want to drop.
Tom Glavine - 4 1/3 IP, 11 H, 9 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Thank God he pitches in the NL...there would be a lot more of these if he didn't. As is, he's still a decent back of the rotation starter given the offense he plays for, even if he doesn't K a lot of people.
David Wright - The power is back, and hopefully you at least made an effort to buy low when I suggested it. He's up to 12 HRs, and this should be the first year he hits over 30. His AVG is at .279 current, and I think he'll bring that up some as well.
Carlos Beltran - Back to back games with SBs show that his banged up knee is healthy and he's ready to roll.
Alex Rodriguez - Remember May? I don't. Remember April? The 2nd coming might be on the way. He has 5 HR, 18 RBI, 8 R, and a SB in the past 8 games.
Bobby Abreu - Another surging Yankee. I wasn't sure if he was done as a productive ballplayer, but I look stupid for even mentioning it. 4/4 with 4 R, 3 RBI, and a SB last night, and he's now hitting .500 in the month of June. Expect him to stay hot for a while and his year stats to begin resembling what you expect from him. The 30 HR power is probably gone, but he should start hitting a few more HRs as well.
Andrew Sonnanstine - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K. This is an anomaly start from him, according to his minor league resume. He should settle in as a decent starting pitcher, but he doesn't have the kind of upside that makes outings like this somewhat regular.
Kevin Gregg - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. The nightmare outings from us fantasy owners...when closers are entered into non-closing situations. Nothing to worry about, just annoying.
C.C. Sabathia - 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. With a line like this, you expect a victory. Not last night, though. Suckage.
Aaron Harang - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. See above. The latest chapter in the best selling novel "When Offenses Suck Ass".
Jason Hirsh - 9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Back to back strong outings, albeit it against weaker offenses. Still, a sign of hope for a good young pitcher who slumped badly in May.
Erik Bedard - 5 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. He's lucky to hold Colorado to only two earned runs given he allowed 12 baserunners, but he hasn't allowed more than 3 ER since late April.
Mark Buerhle - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A great outing for career win #100. Congrats, Mark!
Bobby Jenks - Picked up his 17th save last night. He's quietly having a great season, posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 23 K in 24 1/3 IP.
Paul Konerko - He went 3/4 with his 9th HR, 2 RBI, and 2 R last night. He's continuing to slowly shake his slump, and he can still be had at a discount. He's raised his AVG by 28 points his last 7 games, so he's definitely seeing the ball better.
Ryan Howard - Hit his 12th HR last night, but struck out his other 4 times up. He's easily been the biggest 1st round bust this year, posting a .237 AVG and only scoring 22 runs. His power is obviously fine, but all those Ks (56 in 152 AB) are definitely impacting his AVG now. I expect him to hit for a better AVG from here on out, but probably not above .280.
Boof Bonser - 5 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Another substandard outing, especially considering it was against the Nationals, but he still picked up the W. He just isn't going to be kind to your WHIP this year.
Jered Weaver - 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. Obviously from his stat line he wasn't close to his best last night, and he left after injuring his back. I would assume this is a minor issue and he'll make his next start, but I'll post if I'm wrong.
Albert Pujols - 2/3 with 2 HR and 5 RBI yesterday. Yup, he's back. Plus, he's on pace to hit 40 HRs for the season now. Everyone who bought low due to his extended slump early in the season got the best player in fantasy baseball at a large discount. I'm smiling, for sure.
Matt Cain - 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. His best effort in quite a while, although he still walked 3. He got boned by his offense though, taking the loss.
Felix Hernandez - 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Finally, an outing to build off of. All those runs came on a solo HR and a 2 R HR in the 4th inning. Granted this was an outing in a great pitcher's park against a sub-par offense, but this is still a step in the right direction.
Chris Young (P) - 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Not at his best last night, but he wasn't even that bad in his worst outing since late April.
Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. A nice bounceback outing after a disaster his last time on the mound. My speculation that something was bothering him again appears to be incorrect, although his jeckyl/hyde routine this year has been very frustrating for his owners. Perhaps you should use this outing and try to get another ace in return for him.
Jason Schmidt - 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Speaking of jeckyl/hyde routines, he just went the wrong way with it. I'd suggest trying to get something for his name and getting rid of him. It appears he's going to be a problem all year, and perhaps someone in your league thinks otherwise. Find him, if he exists.
Troy Glaus - He had been quiet for a while, but his 2 HRs last night, taking him to 10 on the season. He's still hitting .293, which is very surprising given his .255 career AVG. Given he has SS eligibility in Yahoo leagues this year, he's been extremely valuable.
Russell Martin - Stole his 10th base last night. That's obscene for a catcher. Nice.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 K. Unfortunately he took the loss, but he turned in a nice outing outside of the walks. He's brought his walk rate down over the past month, but these 4 BB performances are definitely out of character given he never had control issues in Japan. Perhaps he's trying to be a little too fine with the strike zone sometimes.
Randy Johnson - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. Another very strong outing from Johnson, this time against an elite Boston offense. He's definitely on top of his game now, and all his owners should enjoy him the rest of the year. He might have another DL stint in him given his age, but he should be a great fantasy pitcher while healthy.
Ted Lilly - 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. The situation last night was complete bullshit. Lilly went after the head of Edgar Renteria, the 3rd hitter up in the inning, hitting him around the collarbone area just underneath his face. Lilly was obviously retaliating for Soriano being pegged by Hudson the night before, but unlike Hudson, he was tossed from the game. Now I understand that the umpires wanted to keep order, especially as the dugouts emptied onto the field, but to toss Lilly was ridiculous. It was obvious that Lilly hit Renteria on purpose, just like it was obvious that Hudson hit Soriano on purpose last night, yet the two situations were treated differently. Both benches should have been warned, but given what happened the night before, Lilly should have been warned and not tossed. What a joke.
Kelly Johnson - Smacked his 8th HR last night. He's currently hitting .286 with 45 R, 35 RBI, and 5 SB. He's continuing his fine breakout season.
David Bush - 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Unfortunately he didn't build off of last outing, and I can't suggest owning him currently. He just hasn't put it together yet, but he's still worth keeping an eye on.
Francisco Cordero - 2 nights, 2 blown saves. Well he had to come back to Earth sometime. This one wasn't nearly as bad, with 2 singles and a stolen base doing him in. He'll be fine.
Prince Fielder - Not to be too outdone by Alex Rodriguez, he bombed a 2 run HR last night, his 23rd, leaving him 1 HR behind A-Rod for the major league lead.
Tom Glavine - 4 1/3 IP, 11 H, 9 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Thank God he pitches in the NL...there would be a lot more of these if he didn't. As is, he's still a decent back of the rotation starter given the offense he plays for, even if he doesn't K a lot of people.
David Wright - The power is back, and hopefully you at least made an effort to buy low when I suggested it. He's up to 12 HRs, and this should be the first year he hits over 30. His AVG is at .279 current, and I think he'll bring that up some as well.
Carlos Beltran - Back to back games with SBs show that his banged up knee is healthy and he's ready to roll.
Alex Rodriguez - Remember May? I don't. Remember April? The 2nd coming might be on the way. He has 5 HR, 18 RBI, 8 R, and a SB in the past 8 games.
Bobby Abreu - Another surging Yankee. I wasn't sure if he was done as a productive ballplayer, but I look stupid for even mentioning it. 4/4 with 4 R, 3 RBI, and a SB last night, and he's now hitting .500 in the month of June. Expect him to stay hot for a while and his year stats to begin resembling what you expect from him. The 30 HR power is probably gone, but he should start hitting a few more HRs as well.
Andrew Sonnanstine - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K. This is an anomaly start from him, according to his minor league resume. He should settle in as a decent starting pitcher, but he doesn't have the kind of upside that makes outings like this somewhat regular.
Kevin Gregg - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. The nightmare outings from us fantasy owners...when closers are entered into non-closing situations. Nothing to worry about, just annoying.
C.C. Sabathia - 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. With a line like this, you expect a victory. Not last night, though. Suckage.
Aaron Harang - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. See above. The latest chapter in the best selling novel "When Offenses Suck Ass".
Jason Hirsh - 9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Back to back strong outings, albeit it against weaker offenses. Still, a sign of hope for a good young pitcher who slumped badly in May.
Erik Bedard - 5 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. He's lucky to hold Colorado to only two earned runs given he allowed 12 baserunners, but he hasn't allowed more than 3 ER since late April.
Mark Buerhle - 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A great outing for career win #100. Congrats, Mark!
Bobby Jenks - Picked up his 17th save last night. He's quietly having a great season, posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 23 K in 24 1/3 IP.
Paul Konerko - He went 3/4 with his 9th HR, 2 RBI, and 2 R last night. He's continuing to slowly shake his slump, and he can still be had at a discount. He's raised his AVG by 28 points his last 7 games, so he's definitely seeing the ball better.
Ryan Howard - Hit his 12th HR last night, but struck out his other 4 times up. He's easily been the biggest 1st round bust this year, posting a .237 AVG and only scoring 22 runs. His power is obviously fine, but all those Ks (56 in 152 AB) are definitely impacting his AVG now. I expect him to hit for a better AVG from here on out, but probably not above .280.
Boof Bonser - 5 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Another substandard outing, especially considering it was against the Nationals, but he still picked up the W. He just isn't going to be kind to your WHIP this year.
Jered Weaver - 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. Obviously from his stat line he wasn't close to his best last night, and he left after injuring his back. I would assume this is a minor issue and he'll make his next start, but I'll post if I'm wrong.
Albert Pujols - 2/3 with 2 HR and 5 RBI yesterday. Yup, he's back. Plus, he's on pace to hit 40 HRs for the season now. Everyone who bought low due to his extended slump early in the season got the best player in fantasy baseball at a large discount. I'm smiling, for sure.
Matt Cain - 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. His best effort in quite a while, although he still walked 3. He got boned by his offense though, taking the loss.
Felix Hernandez - 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Finally, an outing to build off of. All those runs came on a solo HR and a 2 R HR in the 4th inning. Granted this was an outing in a great pitcher's park against a sub-par offense, but this is still a step in the right direction.
Chris Young (P) - 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Not at his best last night, but he wasn't even that bad in his worst outing since late April.
Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. A nice bounceback outing after a disaster his last time on the mound. My speculation that something was bothering him again appears to be incorrect, although his jeckyl/hyde routine this year has been very frustrating for his owners. Perhaps you should use this outing and try to get another ace in return for him.
Jason Schmidt - 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. Speaking of jeckyl/hyde routines, he just went the wrong way with it. I'd suggest trying to get something for his name and getting rid of him. It appears he's going to be a problem all year, and perhaps someone in your league thinks otherwise. Find him, if he exists.
Troy Glaus - He had been quiet for a while, but his 2 HRs last night, taking him to 10 on the season. He's still hitting .293, which is very surprising given his .255 career AVG. Given he has SS eligibility in Yahoo leagues this year, he's been extremely valuable.
Russell Martin - Stole his 10th base last night. That's obscene for a catcher. Nice.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 K. Unfortunately he took the loss, but he turned in a nice outing outside of the walks. He's brought his walk rate down over the past month, but these 4 BB performances are definitely out of character given he never had control issues in Japan. Perhaps he's trying to be a little too fine with the strike zone sometimes.
Randy Johnson - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. Another very strong outing from Johnson, this time against an elite Boston offense. He's definitely on top of his game now, and all his owners should enjoy him the rest of the year. He might have another DL stint in him given his age, but he should be a great fantasy pitcher while healthy.
Ted Lilly - 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. The situation last night was complete bullshit. Lilly went after the head of Edgar Renteria, the 3rd hitter up in the inning, hitting him around the collarbone area just underneath his face. Lilly was obviously retaliating for Soriano being pegged by Hudson the night before, but unlike Hudson, he was tossed from the game. Now I understand that the umpires wanted to keep order, especially as the dugouts emptied onto the field, but to toss Lilly was ridiculous. It was obvious that Lilly hit Renteria on purpose, just like it was obvious that Hudson hit Soriano on purpose last night, yet the two situations were treated differently. Both benches should have been warned, but given what happened the night before, Lilly should have been warned and not tossed. What a joke.
Kelly Johnson - Smacked his 8th HR last night. He's currently hitting .286 with 45 R, 35 RBI, and 5 SB. He's continuing his fine breakout season.
David Bush - 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Unfortunately he didn't build off of last outing, and I can't suggest owning him currently. He just hasn't put it together yet, but he's still worth keeping an eye on.
Francisco Cordero - 2 nights, 2 blown saves. Well he had to come back to Earth sometime. This one wasn't nearly as bad, with 2 singles and a stolen base doing him in. He'll be fine.
Prince Fielder - Not to be too outdone by Alex Rodriguez, he bombed a 2 run HR last night, his 23rd, leaving him 1 HR behind A-Rod for the major league lead.
Saturday's Ballgames
Roger Clemens - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. A successful return for Clemens. I should have started him given he was facing Pittsburgh, but I played it safe and left him on the bench. Could have used the win. This was a great offense for him to face in his first start back. The Pirates are horrible at getting on base, and they aren't a patient bunch. Clemens is going to have to show better fastball command, and he'll need a pitch other than his splitter working to retire better hitters. His splitter was downright nasty though.
Jason Jennings - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Another emerging waiver option as a starter? Since returning from an elbow injury, he's posted a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 23 K in 30 IP. He posted a very solid 3.78 pitching for Colorado last year, but his 142 K/85 BB ratio and 1.37 WHIP wasn't good. I wouldn't pick him up and start him in mixed leagues, but he might be worth stashing if your rotation is a mess.
Jon Garland - 7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Another solid outing from Garland. He's given up exactly 1 ER in 4 of his last 6 appearances. That 33 K / 26 BB ratio is just so ugly though...
Dan Wheeler/Brad Lidge - Both had been worked hard recently, so they received a well-deserved day off as Chad Qualls finished the game off. No need to pick him up.
Dan Haren - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Just another day at the office for Haren. He has a 1.58 ERA through the middle of June. That's impressive.
Barry Zito - 4 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. His former teammates obviously know how to approach him. This was his worst outing in 3 weeks, so there's no cause for concern.
Bobby Crosby - Well, after my push to pick him up last month, he's been brutal. I've had to deal with it too since there's nobody better in my league at SS to pick up. 3/5 with a solo HR and 2 R last night, so let's hope this is the start of another hot streak. He's too talented when healthy to keep hitting like crap.
Oliver Perez - 5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. I actually had him benched for this one, and I'm glad I did. He was due for a tough outing, and sure enough it came against the great Detroit offense. He got knocked around by possibly the best offense in the majors, so it's nothing too alarming.
Jeremy Bonderman - 6 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Bonderman was due for a rough outing too, and his also came against an elite offense. What's good was that his WHIP wasn't bad, and he got the win, so owners won't be too upset.
Brian Roberts - He was dealing with a bit a leg pain which led to a cutdown in the stolen base attempts, but he's apparently feeling much better after stealing two bags on Saturday.
James Shields - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. He's pitching as well as anything not named Dan Haren right now. I think he's due for regression as he hasn't faced the Red Sox, Yankees, or Blue Jays yet, so his schedule has been quite soft given he pitches in the AL East. I think that without a dominant fastball or solid 3rd pitch, he'll have some troubles against the more powerful lineups. If you can get an established stud in return for him, I'd suggest doing it before he starts to face those lineups more consistently.
Tim Hudson - 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Any respect I had for Hudson went out the window after he threw at Soriano's head with the first pitch of the ballgame. Given Soriano had lit the Braves up for 3 HRs the night before, it was obivously intentional. In a very nice turn of poetic justice, he was hit hard by the Cubs, and then also by a line drive that hit him in the shin in the 3rd inning, causing him to leave the game. I don't normally like when players get hurt, but I couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction after it happened to Hudson 2 innings after he went head hunting. Hey Atlanta - here's an idea: Soriano is a free swinger. Don't throw so many pitches over the damn plate, and don't throw at his head after he crushes them when you do. He just had a bruised leg, so he's probably fine.
Edgar Renteria - He continues to be one of the best draft day bargains at the SS position, hitting his 9th HR last night and going 3/5 with 2 R and 4 RBI to raise his AVG to .322.
Jhonny Peralta - The other great draft day bargain at the SS position. Peralta hit his 12th HR last night, and went 2/5 to push his AVG to .293. He's definitely bounced back after a miserable sophomore season.
Ken Griffey Jr. - Smashed his 15th HR last night. Gotta love the resurgent season from Griffey this year. The move to RF has seemingly helped him stay healthy this year.
Jon Lieber - 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K. Talk about a studly spot starting performance, if you used him for this. Hats off to you if you did.
Gil Meche - 7 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. A solid outing against a tough offense. He continues to have a very solid year in everything but the Wins column.
Johan Santana - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. I'm sure his owners were infuriorated that their top pick lost to the lowly Nationals, but he pitched well and just made one mistake to Ryan Zimmerman which led to all 3 runs allowed.
Erwin Santana - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. His best road start this year. He could turn himself into a viable fantasy option if he can figure out why he pitches so poorly on the road, but it'll take more than just this outing to convince his owners.
Chone Figgins - He continues to tear up the basepathes, swiping 2 more to give him 13 SBs on the season. He's yanked his AVG all the way up to .254 with the 4/6 performance Saturday night, and is again looking like an elite option at 2B.
Ben Sheets - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Thanks to Francisco Cordero's 9th inning meltdown, he didn't pick up the Win despite 7 shutout innings. He's pitching like an ace again after injuries the past two seasons, and a slow start this year.
Francisco Cordero - 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 BS. You knew he was due for a blown save, and unfortunately it came in a very ugly fashion and at the expense of all Ben Sheets owners.
Stephen Drew - That's 2 HRs and 8 RBI in the past 7 games. Perhaps he's finally ready to break out and start flashing the potential that made him a popular SS sleeper for this season.
J.J. Putz - He continues to be the most valuable closer drafted this year, especially given the discount on him that many owners received after having elbow problems in the spring. He's posted 17 saves with a 1.27 ERA and 0.58 WHIP.
Derek Lowe - 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. But yet he took the loss. Bad luck and bad offense here. He's been very solid as a back of the rotation starter for fantasy teams though, and his 6 K/9 IP isn't horrible.
Casey Janssen - Picked up a save, but don't read anything into this. Accardo had worked a lot recently and needed a day off, although this could cement Janssen as the top setup guy for Accardo. He's posted a 1.09 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, but only has 12 Ks in 33 IP.
Jason Jennings - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Another emerging waiver option as a starter? Since returning from an elbow injury, he's posted a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 23 K in 30 IP. He posted a very solid 3.78 pitching for Colorado last year, but his 142 K/85 BB ratio and 1.37 WHIP wasn't good. I wouldn't pick him up and start him in mixed leagues, but he might be worth stashing if your rotation is a mess.
Jon Garland - 7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Another solid outing from Garland. He's given up exactly 1 ER in 4 of his last 6 appearances. That 33 K / 26 BB ratio is just so ugly though...
Dan Wheeler/Brad Lidge - Both had been worked hard recently, so they received a well-deserved day off as Chad Qualls finished the game off. No need to pick him up.
Dan Haren - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Just another day at the office for Haren. He has a 1.58 ERA through the middle of June. That's impressive.
Barry Zito - 4 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. His former teammates obviously know how to approach him. This was his worst outing in 3 weeks, so there's no cause for concern.
Bobby Crosby - Well, after my push to pick him up last month, he's been brutal. I've had to deal with it too since there's nobody better in my league at SS to pick up. 3/5 with a solo HR and 2 R last night, so let's hope this is the start of another hot streak. He's too talented when healthy to keep hitting like crap.
Oliver Perez - 5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K. I actually had him benched for this one, and I'm glad I did. He was due for a tough outing, and sure enough it came against the great Detroit offense. He got knocked around by possibly the best offense in the majors, so it's nothing too alarming.
Jeremy Bonderman - 6 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. Bonderman was due for a rough outing too, and his also came against an elite offense. What's good was that his WHIP wasn't bad, and he got the win, so owners won't be too upset.
Brian Roberts - He was dealing with a bit a leg pain which led to a cutdown in the stolen base attempts, but he's apparently feeling much better after stealing two bags on Saturday.
James Shields - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. He's pitching as well as anything not named Dan Haren right now. I think he's due for regression as he hasn't faced the Red Sox, Yankees, or Blue Jays yet, so his schedule has been quite soft given he pitches in the AL East. I think that without a dominant fastball or solid 3rd pitch, he'll have some troubles against the more powerful lineups. If you can get an established stud in return for him, I'd suggest doing it before he starts to face those lineups more consistently.
Tim Hudson - 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Any respect I had for Hudson went out the window after he threw at Soriano's head with the first pitch of the ballgame. Given Soriano had lit the Braves up for 3 HRs the night before, it was obivously intentional. In a very nice turn of poetic justice, he was hit hard by the Cubs, and then also by a line drive that hit him in the shin in the 3rd inning, causing him to leave the game. I don't normally like when players get hurt, but I couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction after it happened to Hudson 2 innings after he went head hunting. Hey Atlanta - here's an idea: Soriano is a free swinger. Don't throw so many pitches over the damn plate, and don't throw at his head after he crushes them when you do. He just had a bruised leg, so he's probably fine.
Edgar Renteria - He continues to be one of the best draft day bargains at the SS position, hitting his 9th HR last night and going 3/5 with 2 R and 4 RBI to raise his AVG to .322.
Jhonny Peralta - The other great draft day bargain at the SS position. Peralta hit his 12th HR last night, and went 2/5 to push his AVG to .293. He's definitely bounced back after a miserable sophomore season.
Ken Griffey Jr. - Smashed his 15th HR last night. Gotta love the resurgent season from Griffey this year. The move to RF has seemingly helped him stay healthy this year.
Jon Lieber - 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K. Talk about a studly spot starting performance, if you used him for this. Hats off to you if you did.
Gil Meche - 7 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. A solid outing against a tough offense. He continues to have a very solid year in everything but the Wins column.
Johan Santana - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. I'm sure his owners were infuriorated that their top pick lost to the lowly Nationals, but he pitched well and just made one mistake to Ryan Zimmerman which led to all 3 runs allowed.
Erwin Santana - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. His best road start this year. He could turn himself into a viable fantasy option if he can figure out why he pitches so poorly on the road, but it'll take more than just this outing to convince his owners.
Chone Figgins - He continues to tear up the basepathes, swiping 2 more to give him 13 SBs on the season. He's yanked his AVG all the way up to .254 with the 4/6 performance Saturday night, and is again looking like an elite option at 2B.
Ben Sheets - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Thanks to Francisco Cordero's 9th inning meltdown, he didn't pick up the Win despite 7 shutout innings. He's pitching like an ace again after injuries the past two seasons, and a slow start this year.
Francisco Cordero - 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 BS. You knew he was due for a blown save, and unfortunately it came in a very ugly fashion and at the expense of all Ben Sheets owners.
Stephen Drew - That's 2 HRs and 8 RBI in the past 7 games. Perhaps he's finally ready to break out and start flashing the potential that made him a popular SS sleeper for this season.
J.J. Putz - He continues to be the most valuable closer drafted this year, especially given the discount on him that many owners received after having elbow problems in the spring. He's posted 17 saves with a 1.27 ERA and 0.58 WHIP.
Derek Lowe - 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. But yet he took the loss. Bad luck and bad offense here. He's been very solid as a back of the rotation starter for fantasy teams though, and his 6 K/9 IP isn't horrible.
Casey Janssen - Picked up a save, but don't read anything into this. Accardo had worked a lot recently and needed a day off, although this could cement Janssen as the top setup guy for Accardo. He's posted a 1.09 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, but only has 12 Ks in 33 IP.
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